InstantCarnation

For what it's worth ill/rad is solid, but bested (in both speed and ability to take on harder targets easier) by an ill/cold. It's just a lot easier to get an ill/rad to the point it can do such feats.

bots/traps easily trumps both though, I mean you can take on most AV's with just SO's with a bot/traps.

I think a more appropriate pylon test for incarnates is how fast you can kill 3 or even 5 of them in a row... because you are exactly right, the "short" duration uptime of the pets are definitely skewing the numbers. However, at the same time they last long enough for many builds to kill all but the toughest of enemies before they expire, so who knows.

there is no doubt that it can, just not in the same realm of how well ill/cold can do it.

If it is a purpose built toon with the intent of killing hard targets the ill/cold is a clearly superior choice. Along with being the "better" teaming toon. Ill/storm is crazy fun though, can do a lot of things very well and is among the most visually appealing combos in the game.

Those are all viable options. Ice is great cause the blast is so fast and icestorm does huge damage without containment, which ill is weak at creating, so you can still wipe spawns out pretty easy with sleet+icestorm as a 1-2 punch.

Seimsic smash is great, but ill/cold plays so well at range while your pets occupy everything, so running up to punch things in the face is a bit off for the set. Satisfying though.
Fissure is also super fun, but again requires you to be so close to the enemy that it is better suited to a melee range set like fire or ice control or kinetics.

Scorp is also another option, you get another nice pet and given the high rech goals of the build it should be perma. With shields and the tuant of your ill pets it lasts a long time. additional -res is welcome too.

The shields are a great pick up. Just color them a dark palette so the are nearly invisible. FW is an astounding buff in some situations and does nothing in others. Nice if you have room as it can do a ton in the way of layered mitigation.

Spiritual seems to be the ticket. more rech is always welcome. The high firedot one seems great too. And get a high damage pet.

Aidself is almost entirely unneeded on an ill/cold.

Snowstorm is a nice single/two slot power and cause /cold doesn't have much going on on the active side of battles in the earlier levels snowstorm can be a nice contribution.

IMO it is also not needed in later levels as it takes too long to cast and because unnecessary with perma sleet. But up until that build point it has value in some situations. Ill is also a bit lacking in the aoe control department (or at least hard control) so the addition soft control of snowstorm coupled with spec terror is generally very sufficient for most encounters (again prior to high uptime of sleet).

For the purpose of killing AVs ill/cold remains one of the premier builds in the game, perhaps only bested by bots/traps.

Ill/storm gains some good tricks from the new powers for the task, but Ill/cold already had the task beaten so as such has more freedom to do whatever it likes with the new power selections.

Even with the new endurance management methods I could still see an ill/storm gasping for breath going all out. However /cold doesn't worry about end. Also AV's hit hard and often Mez. You will get hit at some point and a /storm will feel it fully and get mezzed for a long time (and likely die). Benumb from cold makes them hit like a kitten and makes their mezzes last a fraction of the normal duration.

That said, storm is more active, flashy and a ton of fun. Cold is more powerful and if cold, effective, ultimate power is your thing then that is the way to go.

P.S. with the new Lore pets available I'm pretty sure a ill/cold could kill an AV in about 30 seconds....or less.